Curated OER
Lesson Plan on Military Leaders in the American Civil War
Young scholars, in groups, half representing the Confederacy, half the Union, conduct research to find out about important Civil War military leaders from each side. They find the answers to a variety of questions regarding their...
Curated OER
Southern Society during the Civil War: Black Society
Students research and discuss the societal changes during the Civil War as it relates to various parts of southern society. In this southern society during the civil war lesson, students examine what life was like for slaves during the...
Curated OER
Addressing the Nation
Students examine the leadership skills of Civil War leaders. In this American Civil War lesson, students describe attributes of effective leaders and then debate the effectiveness of leaders during the war.
Curated OER
Reporting on a Battle
Young scholars report on battles of the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, students conduct research that allows them to report on selected battles of the war. Student's newspapers should include eyewitness statements,...
Curated OER
Hoosier Soldiers and the Emancipation Proclamation
Eighth graders examine the impact of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation through the eyes of Indiana soldiers. In this American Civil War lesson plan, 8th graders read the proclamation and then students write essays that included letters...
Curated OER
Learning to Analyze Political Cartoons with Lincoln as a Case Study
Eighth graders examine the attributes of political cartoons. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders analyze a cartoon titled " The Good Uncle and the Naughty Boy." Students then create their own political cartoons about aspects...
Curated OER
Bridges for All Lesson 1: Fighting Chance (1850-1877)
Students study how a Quaker woman, Laura Smith Haviland, served as a lifeline for fugitive and freedmen during the American Civil War era. They research other philanthropic organizations and the associate vocabulary of this era.
Curated OER
The Home Front (Circa 1863)
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this American Civil War lesson, students examine sources and then write personal accounts of the war.
Curated OER
The Life of a Hoosier Soldier, based on the letters of Lt. John V. Hadley
Eighth graders take a closer look at the life of Union soldiers. In this American Civil War instructional activity, 8th graders read and analyze a series of letters from Lt. John Hadley to his fiancée. Students chart their findings from...
Curated OER
Wanted, a Substitute
For this primary source analysis worksheet, students analyze an American Civil War song. Students respond to 5 short answer questions about the song and its lyrics.
Curated OER
The War of 1812
A good addition to a unit on the War of 1812, this slideshow details causes, specific battles, political contexts, and several campaigns of the war. Maps and pictures with broad topics allow teachers to bring their own discussion topics...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Reconstruction
When slavery ended, what did the government do to help African American during Reconstruction? An interesting instructional activity uses primary sources such as newspaper articles to help scholars analyze Reconstruction policies and how...
American Chemical Society
Norbert Rillieux, Thermodynamics and Chemical Engineering
The man who invented the earliest examples of chemical engineering was an American-born, French-educated, free man of color before the Civil War, and went on to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics. There is something of interest for almost...
Curated OER
Japanese-American Relocation
Consider the causes and effects that led to the internment and relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII. Learners read the story "Baseball Saved Us" and selected chapters from Farewell to Manzanar. Then, they view a slide-show, and...
PBS
The Supreme Court: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
While World War II changed the international order, it also led to a fundamental shift in the concept of civil rights within the United States. Using a video and discussion questions, class members consider the effects the war had to the...
Curated OER
Chapter 28: Red Flags and Velvet Revolutions: The End of the Cold War, 1960-1990
Set your historians up for testing success using this interactive flashcard tool. It is one of many learning strategies offered in this thorough online resource. Although designed for use with a text, the site is valuable independently....
US House of Representatives
“‘The Negroes’ Temporary Farewell,” Jim Crow and the Exclusion of African Americans from Congress, 1887–1929
Despite some advances made during the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War, the period from 1887 through 1929, African Americans serving in Congress suffered severe setbacks due to Jim Crow Laws and voter suppression. Class members...
Curated OER
Music of the Civil War
Students gain insight into the Civil War era by exploring the art, music, and literature of the time.
Curated OER
AFRICAN-AMERICAN POETRY BEFORE EMANCIPATION
Explore poetry written by African-Americans before emancipation. 8th graders create collages, and explain why they chose specific stanzas. They display the collages on the class bulletin board that demonstrate an understanding of the...
Curated OER
Massachusetts 54th Raid at Darien, Georgia Shaw Letter
High schoolers examine the expectations of Civil War soldiers. In this American Civil War instructional activity, students analyze a letter written by Colonel Shaw to his wife in order to gain an understanding of the expectations of the...
Curated OER
The Gettysburg Address
In this American Civil War learning exercise, students paraphrase the 6 noted sections of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address speech.
Curated OER
Was There an Industrial Revolution? Americans at Work Before the Civil War
Students investigate the First U.S. Industrial Revolution. They identify positive and negative effects of early industrialization, read first-hand accounts, role-play and interview individuals, and participate in a debate.
American Battlefield Trust
The Home Front
Women and children played key roles during the Civil War, even if their voices are often lost in history. By studying letters and personal testimony from them, budding historians get a glimpse into the day-to-day life of civilians during...
DocsTeach
Confronting Work Place Discrimination on the World War II Home Front
Before the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, FDR's executive order helped promote fair employment. The activity uses primary documents to explore FDR's executive order to help minorities gain equal employment and pay during the...